Inflation apparatus and control means therefor



Oct. 8, 1940. M, L, TAYLQR 2,217,299

INFLATION APPARATUS AND` CONTROL MEANS THEREFOR Filed Jan. 19, 1940 IIIIII-'IIIIIIII Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED l STATES INFLATION APPARATUS AND CONTROLv MEANS THEREFOR y Myron L. Taylor, Hudson, Ohio, assigner to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 19, 1940, Serial No. 314,618

' 9 claims.

This invention to apparatus for inatlng eX- tensible units and to means for controlling the inflation. The invention 'is suitable especially for use in connection with inatable units or shoes mounted upon airplanewings and other airfoils and surfaces of air craft for the purpose of preventing the accumulation of ice.

The provision of a central distributing mechanism for controlling the supply of air under underv pressure to the individual units and the exhaust and suction therefrom has the objection of necessitating the installation of extensive piping between each unit and the central distributing mechanism, adding weight to the aircraft and occupying precious space.

In order to supply air under pressure to eachv inflatable unit and in order to apply suction to each unit to maintain its deflated condition in the intervals between intermittent inflations two main pipe lines are required, one a pressure line and the other a suction line. Proposals heretofore for a two-line system have involved the expedient of individual control valves at the inflatable units which valves and the operating gear therefor have been somewhat complex and heavy.

Objects of the present invention are to provide simplicity in the control and operation of each individual inflatable unit so that the advantages of the two-line system may be 'availed of to a maximum; to provide for alternating cyclic inflations and deflations of the units by improved action that is largely automatic at each unit, so that a minimum of operating connections and mechanism whether they be electrical, mechani-Y cal, hydraulic or pneumatic, are required at each unit and between it and a central timing mechanism; to provide valve mechanism operated by change in the rate of fiow of air into and out of the inflatable unit and to provide for simplicity of apparatus and light weight.

A further object is'to provide for automatic operation such that the time intervals for the inflation and exhaust phases as they actually occur will be commensurate in duration with the actual requirements for the individual units,- even though the units are of varying air capacities` These and further objects will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l' is a vertical section through control valve mechanism constructed according to and em- 5 bodying the invention.

Fig; 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of one side o f an airplane showing a system of inflatable 10 units connected for operation in accordance with the invention, the outline of the airplane wing with motors and part of the fuselage being shown in broken lines.

Fig. 4 is a section of the airplane wing taken 15 along the line 4 4' of Fig. 3.

Referring' first to Figs. 3 and 4, the invention iS illustrated as applied to an airplane comprising a fuselage I0 having wings, one of which is shown at II, carrying motor nacelles I2and I3, and 20 landing lights I4 outwardly spaced from the outboard nacelles I3. -A plurality of inflatable members is mounted at the leading edge'of the wing, there being four such members in the illustrated embodiment, including a member I5 extending 25 from the wing tip to the landing light I4, and a second member I6 between the landing light and the outboard nacelle I3, a third member Il between the two nacelles I3 and I2, and a fourth member I8 between the inboard nacelle I2 and 30` the fuselage I 0. The wing at the opposite side of the fuselage has similar inatable members correspondingly located, and at the tail group there is provided a pair of inflatable members I9 and 20 for the horizontal stabilizers and an in- 35 atable member 2I for the vertical stabilizer.

Each inflatable member comprises an extensible elastic structure of rubber or other rubberlike material suitably reinforced and attached to the airfoil surface at its upper and lower margins which are covered preferably by upper and lower fairing strips 22, 23. Each inflatable member includes one or more linflatable tubes, there being five such tubes 24, 25, 26, 21, and 28 (Fig. 4), in the member I8' and preferably in each of the four 45 members on the wing. The inflatable members I9 and 20 of the horizontal stabilizers may include a group of three tubes and the inflatable members 2| for the vertical stabilizersmay include only one tube, the number of tubes being provided in accordance with the thickness of the leading edge of the airfoil. y

The tubes of each unit in the members where more than one tube is provided, are inflated by groups 0f the tubes in alternation. In the mem- 55 ber I6, for example, upper and lower tubes 24 and 28 and intermediate tube 2B are inflated and deflated together and this group is inflated and deflated in alternation with .the remaining tubes 25 and 21 as a group. vSuch operation provides eiective ice removal without excessive reduction in the lift-drag ratio when the tubes are inflated. For like reasons the middle one of the three tubes of each of the iniiatable members I9 and 20 of the tail group may be inflated andV dei-lated together and the two other tubes of each of these members may be inilated and deated together in alternation with the first tubes.

Further, it is .desirable to innate only'one inatable member or only a few of those on the l wing'at one time so that any aerodynamic dis- .cessive inations of the two groups of tubes of the tail members I9 and 2l). The member 2| maybe included with one of the groups of elements of the members I9 and 29.

Air pressure and air suction is supplied by a pressure line Pand a suction line S extending to all inatable members on the wings and to the inatable members onthe tail group, the pressure line P being connected to the pressure side -of pumps 29 and 30 in the motor nacelles, and

the suction line S being connected to the suction side of said pumps or other suction source.

' Each inatable element (tube or a group of tubes) is connected to the pressure line and suction line through a valve which, in accordance with the invention, is adapted to eiiect the successive three-phase operations of inflation, exhaust to atmosphere, and suction. The apparatus of the invention is such that upon starting impulses from a centrq timing source, the actual successive operations" of the valve are under theA control largely of the rate of flow of air into and out of the inatable element. In the illustrated embodiment wherein the, system is divided into ten inatable elements, ten valves are provided, indicated at V--l through V-I inclusive. For symmetrical operation with respect to the two rings, valves V-I through V-8 inclusive are duplicated for the inatable elements on the other wing..

The valves may all be of identical construction,

and only one, for example the valve V-I, need be described. Referring to Figs. l and 2, the valve comprises a housing 3| having on its upper side brackets 32 and 33 for supporting operating. parts. The housing includes a valvechamber 34 having at one end a pipe connection 35 with a pipe D leading to the inflatable element, and adjacent the other end a port 36 connected to the suction line S, and port`31 connected to the pressure'line P and a port 38 connected to an exhaust pipe E opening to the atmosphere. Within the chamber 34 is mounted for free sliding movement a valve' 39 comprisingas a unit a constricted portion .49 and an apertured. sleeve portion 4I. The

of the throat. The sleeve portion 4I has an aperture 45 adapted to put the suction vport 36 into connection with the chamber, an aperture 46 for the pressure port 31, and an aperture 41 for the movement therewith across-head 49 reciprocable4 in a slot 50 in the housing and urged to a center neutral position by light compression springs 5I, 52 mounted upon a pin 53, upon which the crosshead slides freely, and supported by end adjusting screws 55 and 56 to permit centering of the cross-head and adjustment of the springs.

The upper end of the cross-head has a ball and socket connection with a lever 51 pivoted at 58 to a plate 59 supported. by brackets '32, 33. The upper end of the lever 51 has a pivotal connection at 60 `with a plunger BI freely movable back and forth in the horizontal direction within a solenoid W. Anti-friction bearings B2, 63 may be provided to support the plunger 6I with minimum resistance to movement. The extent of horizontal movement of the plunger 6I together with the lever 51, cross-head 49 and valve 39, is limited by arms 64, 65 on the plunger engageable with adjustable stops 66, 61 suitably positioned with respect to such arms.

The solenoid of each'valve is connected to. one I A of a plurality of taps of a central timing mechanism so that as contact is made in timed relation a current impulse will be sent through the solenoids of the valves to give starting impulses successively, as will be seen from the wiring diagrams ofFigs. 1 and 3.

In theposition of the parts of Fig. 1 the inflatable element is in connection with the suction line S through the pipe D, connection 35, chamber 34, restricted portion 42 of the valve, sleeve 39 and aperture 45. When the timer arm Tmakes connection with the tap W-I of this particular valve the solenoid kicks plunger 6I to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, which in turn moves valve 39 vto the left, closing the suction connection 36 and opening the .chamber to pressure line P through aperture 46. A rush of air from the pressure line causes inflation of the inflatable element and this rush of air through the restricted valve portion 42 maintains the valve in its left hand position even after connection of the timer arm T with tap W-I has been broken.

As the ination of theinilatable element is completed the rush of air through the valve stops, and because the rate of ow of the air through the valve thus drops the dynamic force of the flow ceases and the valve is caused to return to its neutral position of Fig. 1 under the inuence of spring 52. Upon this return to neutral position by the valve the suction port 36 is again open, while the connection lwith the pressure line P is closed. The inilatable element then commences to deflate by a rush of air through the valve into the suction line. This rush of air through the constricted portion of the valve sets up a dynamic force urging the valve to the right in Fig. 1, which results in a closing of the suction port 36 and an opening of the exhaust port 38 through aperture 41 in the sleeve portion. The air continues to flow through the exhaust port until the inflatable element is' deated whereupon, by the cessation of ow through the restricted portion of the valve the dynamic force on the valve ceases and itis returned to its neutral position of Fig. 1 under the influence of spring 5I. In this position of the parts the pressuccessively to the exhaust means and the sucsure and exhaust ports are closed and the inflatable element is again connected with the suction line in which position the inatable element is held -deilated until the next closing of connection of the timer switch tap W-ito start the next cycle of operation. It Will be `seen that the action of the distributor, valve hereinabove described is such that the time intervals for the ination and exhaust phases as they actually occur will be commensurate in duration with the actual requirements for the individual units, even though the units are of varying air capacities.

It will be seen from the foregoing that after a starting impulse the valve operates under the force and control of the rate of flow of air into -and out of the inatable element. The mechanism for the purpose may be of simple construction, compact size and light weight. As the inflation valve is opened by a snap-action, ination l. Control apparatus for an inflatable element,

said apparatus comprising ination pressure inlet means, outlet means, and means controlled by the rate of iiow of the ination medium into the element for connecting the element with said outlet means upon ination of the element.

2. Control apparatus for an inflatable element, said apparatus comprising inflation pressure inlet means, outlet means, timing means for starting inflationof the element, and means controlled by the rate of flow of the ination medium into the element for connecting the element with said outlet means upon iniiation of the element.

3. Control apparatus for an inflatable element, said apparatus comprising niiation pressure inlet means, exhaust means, means for connecting the element to suction, and means controlled by the rate of flow of the inflation medium into and out of the element forconnecting the element successively to the exhaust means and the suction connection upon inflation of the element.

4. Control apparatus for .an inflatable element, said apparatus comprising inflation pressure inlet means, exhaust means, means for connecting the element to suction, timing means for starting inilation of the element, and means controlled by the rate of flow of the ination medium into and out of the element for connecting the element tion connection upon inflation of the element.

5. A system of inflation units comprising a plurality of inflatable units, an inflation pressure line common to the units, valve means individual to each unit and interposed between said pressure 4for connecting the unit to the outlet means upon iniiation of the element.

6. A system of inflation units comprising a plurality of inflatable units, an ination pressure line and a suction line common to the units, valve means individual to each unit and interposed bef, tween said pressure and suction lines and the unit, individual exhaust connections for the units, and means for mounting the valve means of the respective units in alternation to start ination pressure into the units in alternation, each of the valve means comprising means controlledby the rate of ow oi.' the inflation medium into the unit for connecting the unit successively to the exhaust connection and the suction line upon ination of the element.

7. Valve apparatus for controlling the flow of an inflation medium into and out of an inflatable element, said apparatus comprising a valve chamber, said chamber having a connection for aninatable element, a pressure inlet connection and an outlet connection, valve means in said chamber movable to open the element connection in alternation to the other said connections means for moving said valve means to open the element connection to said pressure inlet connection, and means controlled by the rate of flow of the inflation medium through the valve means for moving said valve means to open said element connection to the outlet connection upon infla-4 tion of the element.

8. Valve apparatus for controlling the ow of an inflation'medium into and out of an inflatable element, said apparatus comprising a valve chamber, said chamber having a connection for an inatable element, a pressure inlet connection, an exhaust connection and a suction connection, valve means in said chamber movable to open the element connection in alternation to the other said connections, means for -moving said valve means to open the element connection to said pressure inlet connection, and means controlled by the rate of ow of the inflation medium through the valve means for moving said valve means to open said element connection successively to the exhaust connection and the suction connection upon inflation of the element.

9. Valve apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which the said valve means comprises an element for the passage of air having a restricted throat and opposed mouths diverging therefrom. y

MYRON L. TAYLOR. 

